Spherical Shell Resonance and Applications as a Model for the Human Skull
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC Ballroom B/C/D
Start Date
21-5-2015
End Date
21-5-2015
Keywords
Skull, Resonance, Shift
Abstract
Previous research performed by students and faculty at Central Washington University has shown that changing pressure inside a spherical aluminum shell can shift the resonance frequencies of the shell. This property may be applied to the human skull and allows for a non-invasive method of measuring intracranial pressure. To more closely resemble the environmental conditions of the human skull, a new mount was used with a smaller point of contact at the base of the sphere and the change in pressure, compared to previous experiments, was decreased by at least an order of magnitude from over 40 to less than 1 pound per square inch. Expected frequency shifts due to the smaller pressure changes are less than 0.0001 percent; therefore, extensive testing was done to quantify and identify sources of experimental uncertainty. Results indicate that the current experimental design cannot produce reliable measurements of such small frequency shifts. Specific sources of uncertainty and possible improvements to the experimental design will be discussed.
Recommended Citation
Tangocci, Adam, "Spherical Shell Resonance and Applications as a Model for the Human Skull" (2015). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 50.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2015/posters/50
Poster Number
60
Department/Program
Physics
Additional Mentoring Department
Physics
Spherical Shell Resonance and Applications as a Model for the Human Skull
SURC Ballroom B/C/D
Previous research performed by students and faculty at Central Washington University has shown that changing pressure inside a spherical aluminum shell can shift the resonance frequencies of the shell. This property may be applied to the human skull and allows for a non-invasive method of measuring intracranial pressure. To more closely resemble the environmental conditions of the human skull, a new mount was used with a smaller point of contact at the base of the sphere and the change in pressure, compared to previous experiments, was decreased by at least an order of magnitude from over 40 to less than 1 pound per square inch. Expected frequency shifts due to the smaller pressure changes are less than 0.0001 percent; therefore, extensive testing was done to quantify and identify sources of experimental uncertainty. Results indicate that the current experimental design cannot produce reliable measurements of such small frequency shifts. Specific sources of uncertainty and possible improvements to the experimental design will be discussed.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Andrew Piacsek